February 26, 2024
The City’s best and final offer to CSU 52 employees balances recognition of their contributions in making Edmonton a great place to live and work, with the economic realities of Edmontonians who fund City services through taxes and user fees. The City is providing increased public information at
edmonton.ca/csu52 on its offer.
“While the City has a long-standing tradition of limiting negotiation conversations to the parties involved, we recognize that Edmontonians will be directly impacted if there is labour action,” said Michelle Plouffe, Chief People Officer. “Edmontonians deserve comprehensive information on how City Administration has been working to reach a fair agreement that maintains programs and services for both employees and taxpayers.”
The City prepared to bargain in 2020 but agreed to wait until CSU 52 was ready to come to the table. Proposals were finally exchanged in September 2022. To date, the City and the CSU 52 Union have agreed to more than 30 amendments to the Collective Agreement during more than 30 bargaining and three mediation sessions.
After 18 months, the parties reached an impasse in negotiations, which has resulted in the City making its best and final offer—this includes a total of 7.25 per cent in wage increases with retroactive pay, a commitment to hybrid work and other benefits. Active permanent, full time employees in CSU 52 are, on average, paid more than $86,000 per year.
City Administration has taken an approach to negotiations that recognizes both employees’ contributions and the economic realities of Edmontonians who fund services through taxes and user fees. As the City works to find efficiencies and manage a year end deficit of approximately $50 million and the significant financial pressures in the 2024 - 2026 operating and capital budgets, it is imperative that a strong position is taken on any additional wage increases beyond the best and final offer to manage the long term financial sustainability of city services and the resulting tax increases.
The best and final offer for CSU 52 wage increases already presents a considerable financial challenge for the City’s 2024-2026 operating budget. Any additional increase is not achievable without further operational and public impacts.
“We value the work our employees do, and the City has ultimately provided our best possible offer,” continued Plouffe. “More than 8,000 City employees, including members of other City Unions, have already accepted the same wage increases in the first three years of the deal that the CSU 52 Union has rejected. Our offer includes an additional two years to the term, which means the collective agreement would expire at the end of 2025.”
As information is confirmed, the City will provide factual updates at
edmonton.ca/csu52 on its negotiations with CSU 52 and the upcoming proposal vote.
More information:
- From 2021 to 2024, City Council received 4.82 per cent in total wage increases. The City’s best and final offer proposes a 5.0 per cent wage increase for CSU 52 members over the same period.
- The City’s best and final offer includes a total of 7.25 per cent in wage increases with retroactive pay, a commitment to hybrid work and other items of benefit to employees. These wage increases do not include other step wage increases that employees may be entitled to as they progress in their positions.
- The average active permanent, full-time, City of Edmonton CSU 52 employee receives an annual salary of over $86,000. The City’s proposed 2021 to 2025 offer would see this salary grow to almost $93,000.
- Approximately 29 per cent of active, permanent full-time employees in CSU 52 earn salaries greater than $100,000 annually.
- Approximately 80 per cent of City of Edmonton CSU 52 employees are full-time, and 20 per cent are part-time employees.
- Approximately 63 per cent of permanent, full-time CSU 52 employees currently work a 33.75-hour week, and 37 per cent currently work a 40-hour week. Additional benefits for CSU 52 employees in compliance with the collective agreement include: up to six weeks of paid vacation, both a comprehensive benefits package and a defined benefit pension and, where applicable, up to 25 earned days off (EDO) annually and the ability to work from home up to three days per week.
